Evins named first incumbent of the William Cox Family Professorship

Addiction is among the nation’s most pressing public health problems with more than 20 million people in the U.S. addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Anne Eden Evins, MD, MPH, director of the MGH Center for Addiction Medicine, recently was recognized for her exceptional work in this area as the first incumbent of the William Cox Family Professorship in Psychiatry in the Field of Addiction Medicine Harvard Medical School (HMS).

The establishment of this professorship and the appointment of its first incumbent were celebrated July 30 during a ceremony at HMS. Named in honor of the late William Cox, the professorship was established through a gift from the Cox family as well as other donor contributions. Nancy Tarbell, MD, HMS dean for Academic and Clinical Affairs, hosted the event, which featured remarks by Peter L. Slavin, MD, MGH president; Jerry Rosenbaum, MD, chief of the MGH Department of Psychiatry; Heidi Cox; and Evins.

“Endowed professorships represent the highest honor we can bestow upon our faculty members,” said Tarbell. “Already a well-respected member of the professoriate, Eden now holds a title that further distinguishes her as a leader in the field of addiction medicine, among her peers and beyond.”

Evins became the director of the MGH Center for Addiction Medicine in 2005 and has been an active member of the MGH Schizophrenia and Depression Clinical and Research Program since 1995. Her research interests include pharmacotherapy for nicotine dependence, the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders, and cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. She also is studying the effects of various medications on reward responsiveness and other potential biomarkers of vulnerability to addiction and treatment response.

Said Heidi Cox,“I come from a family of strong women, so my mother, my sisters and I are thrilled that Eden Evins, as first holder of the Cox Professorship in Addiction, will be the first woman faculty member in the department to hold an endowed professorship.”

In his remarks, Slavin congratulated Evins and emphasized the hospital's commitment to improving the care of patients with addiction disorders. “At the MGH, we are determined to take the lead in preventing, identifying, treating and managing substance use disorders, and we will rely heavily on Eden’s leadership and inspiration,” Slavin said.

“I am deeply grateful for the inspirational gifts of the Cox family and the many generous others that have made this opportunity possible,” said Evins. “There are pivotal questions around the biological underpinnings of addiction that the critical support of this professorship will help us address. These discoveries will help us better counsel families and develop more targeted and effective treatments.”